This disclosure relates in general to a free-standing load support system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a load support system having a load positioning system that enables a load, for example, a solar panel array, antenna or other load, to be repositioned.
A variety of supports have conventionally been utilized to provide an attachment location for a load. Often, ground-based supports take the form of a substantial steel-reinforced concrete foundation to which a pole is attached by multiple bolts or other anchors. A common example of such a ground-based support is a street light post. Alternatively, a ground-based support may include a multi-member mast, which may optionally be stabilized by one or more guy-wires. A common example of this type of construction is an antenna mast or a utility pole. The present disclosure recognizes that such supports are expensive to install and often require deployment of multiple crews each having only a subset of skills needed to erect the support and/or attach a load to the support.
The present disclosure additionally appreciates that in many cases it would be desirable to be able to reorient or reposition a load attached to a support. Conventional motor-based positioning systems permitting loads mounted on supports to be reoriented or repositioned are generally complex and expensive and require specialized training and tools to install and to service them. The present disclosure recognizes that it would be desirable to provide a motor-based load positioning system that is inexpensive and is relatively easy to install and maintain.